On days like this
by krostovikraven1
Summary: An impending thunderstorm has the Titans locked indoors. To Raven meant a quiet time to meditate yet intriguing to the soul and to Beast Boy it meant a sight as beautiful as the work of art from a long ago artist. Will Mother Nature contribute to bring those two together in the same picture?


_**Hello everyone. here is a one shot of our favorite characters. I was inspired by... well... the never ending rain that has lasted all week. What better inspiration than Mother Nature. I hope you like it. Let me know.**_

* * *

**On days like this…**

It was the beginning of fall and Jump City was under a never ending rain. The skies were of a pale shade of gray and the chilled breeze made sure every drop of water left no dry spot on the surface untouched as it could make one shiver just by looking thru the window.

Raven however found it soothing, even relaxing. She liked days like this. She could blend in better, being her skin the same shade as the pouring sky that made every other color fade under the rain. But as any sensible person, she preferred the indoors on days like this. Thankful that even the villains found it discouraging to attempt a new scheme .

Raven was levitating above the carpet in front of the big window in the common room and had forsaken her signature attire for something warmer as the tower was a bit cold. Instead, she wore a pair of warm leggings and fuzzy socks that Starfire had gotten her on one of her trips to the mall not too long ago and her favorite sweater. She couldn't remember where she got it but, on days like this, made her feel warmer and she felt more comfortable in it than in any other piece of clothing as It was still too early for the heater to kick in. Summer was no longer the season and the warm afternoons were almost nonexistent..

She also enjoyed days like this because an uncharacteristic silence reigned in the tower. Cyborg and Beast Boy never played video games because "The weather kills the mood" as they had put it once before. So instead, Cyborg would go down to the garage and work on his "baby" while Beast boy slept all day.

Robin usually spent the time training in the gym along with Starfire. The other Titans knew one followed the other but it was never clear who was first to follow who.

And Raven did what she always did whenever she had a chance. She meditated. Meditated for hours to no end or until the rain stopped because once the sun was out, so were her noisy friends.

It had been at least a couple of hours when she opened her eyes. The scene thru the window in front of her was the same. A constant drizzling but in a way, it made the scenery look like a work of art of a long ago artist which she looked at with curious abandon.

…

Beast Boy on the other hand, enjoyed days like this for entirely different reasons. He no longer slept all day on days like this because for some time now, he had discovered how beautiful the view could be.

It had been a day like this, some years ago, that Cyborg and him had tried to engage in a videogame marathon, but after failed attempts of concentration, they had decided to do something else instead. Cyborg had said he wanted to work on his latest creation and as soon as those words had left his mouth, his face lit up and had left the common room in a hurry. Beast Boy had remained behind to put the games away but something made him look in the direction of the big window.

And there, perching midair with ease was Raven. Levitating in the air with a peaceful expression as if she was in the comfort of a soft cloud. From his point of view, she seemed to be in the perfect background. Exotic, different. Beautiful.

A few days later he was in his room, searching thru a pile of clean clothes for his favorite sweater. It was dark green with faded paw prints on the front and the design on the back was so far gone that he couldn't even make it out anymore. It had been a gift from his adoptive mother, many years ago when he first moved in with them, oddly enough, on a day like this. He loved that sweater because it was the first comfort he ever felt in a while after loosing his real parents, but usually he only wore it to sleep in and barely ever left his room unless it needed to get washed but for some reason, he couldn't find it. He even looked thru the pile of dirty clothes he still had, but nothing.

It wasn't until a few more days later when he decided to go back to the laundry room and look in hopes of having forgotten it there but when he walked passed the common room, he saw his sweater. He could recognize it anywhere. But, not only the location was strange but oddly enough, it was Raven who was wearing it.

He was confused and upset. _why is she wearing it?_ he asked himself while he walked silently behind her. When he came in front of her, she still had her eyes closed, softly chanting her mantra. She seemed content. Even relaxed and for a moment he thought she sighed. He was curious however how she had not noticed him there, so close. But then he noticed how close he was and slowly backed away and turned into a mouse and left the common room.

He hadn't noticed Starfire sitting at the kitchen table. She had seen everything and was curious why he left the way he did. She glided silently out of the common room to catch up with the green young man. He was in his room, she could see him thru the open door, pacing like a madman from wall to wall, mumbling to himself. Star knocked on the door before walking in.

"Friend Beast Boy, what is the matter?" she said with obvious worry.

"I'm curious. Why is raven wearing my sweater?" Star tilted her head with a frown, as if trying to remember something, then her eyes went wide open when she realized something.

"I believe I am at fault. I moved your clothes from the washer to the drier machine so Raven could wash her clothes. I must have left it behind and got mixed with her clothes. I'm very sorry friend Beast Boy. I will go retrieve it at once"

"No Star, its ok. I'll ask for it later."

But later came and he didn't ask. Then days went by and after a few exhausting missions, it was finally a quiet, rainy day again. Laundry was making its way from one machine to the other and Starfire came across the sweater again. She decided to do the right thing this time and put the garment back in the basket of its original owner. Later, when Beast Boy was in his room looking for his uniforms, came across the sweater. Which, for some reason, felt softer and even had a faint lavender scent to it that he liked . It smelled like her.

He threw the garment over his shoulder and had left his room with a basket of more clothes when he passed the common room and heard Star and Raven talking. Raven was mildly complaining how cold she was and how upset she was for not being able to find her favorite sweater. Star was about to tell her who's sweater it really was when Beast Boy walked in and interrupted.

"I'm sorry Rae, I took it from the drier by mistake " he said as he handed to her. Raven rewarded him with a tiny smile and softly put her hand on his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Beast Boy, you saved me from the cold" then she turned around and headed for the window.

Starfire approached him and whispered. "Beast Boy, why did you say that? You told me it was yours"

"It is. But she seems to enjoy it more" he said absentmindedly while touching the spot where Raven's hand had rested for a second.

…

…

Ever since that day, Beast Boy had come to the common room on days like this because he knew she would be there, levitating in front of the window. He would wait until the others leave then come back a few minutes later when she was alone and he remained back.

But for some time now, he had wanted more. More than to look from far away but, never dared to do more for the simple fact that she didn't seem to realize he was there, that he was close. Her gesture from a year ago had never repeated and he long for her touch. Sure, if he ever got hurt during battle, she would be there in an instant, pouring her healing powers in him. But it was not the same. A year ago it had been an honest gesture.

He used to sit close to the door to observe her and in case she would come out of her trance unexpectedly, he could always escape without being noticed. But with time, he had learned her pattern and knew just how long he had before she came out of her meditating estate. So, here he was, sitting on the floor at the other end of the window with his legs pulled closer to his chest and his arms resting on his knees, fidgeting lazily with his fingers as he also watched the scenery below.

But then, a movement caught his eye. He had been so engrossed watching the falling rain and lost in thought, enjoying the peaceful rhythm of her breathing, that he had lost track of time and Raven was now done meditating. It was too late for him to make a run for it so he just waited very still for her to notice him. And even though she had not seen him yet, he could see her perfectly and noticed how serene and content she seemed. With a truly Mona Lisa smile.

However, for a short while, she stared at the window with abandon, with a mix of interest and longing. That was until a stray bird caught her attention. Raven blinked a few times, sighed then cast her eyes down, following the water's descent on the window. As she lowered her head, some of her hair fell in front of her and as she took the rogue lock, she noticed how long it was. Long enough to rest over her breasts.

She slid her index and middle fingers down the strand of hair until she reached her chin, then she contemplated the remaining length. It had grown at least five inches longer than her usual cut. It occurred to Beast Boy that perhaps she was considering cutting it that short again and he grimaced at that. Not that it didn't look good on her but he kind of liked it better how her hair sort of curled at the ends and how it just fell in waves after flying.

He couldn't help but whisper "Don't cut it" but his whisper had been loud enough and she actually heard him. He winced. In fact, she was startled. He saw a look of surprise and curiosity when he opened his eyes.

"What did you say?" she asked softly. She didn't look mad, so he decided to continue.

"I said don't cut it… your hair… it looks good that way" . she gave him a tiny smile and softly scuffed to herself at that.

"You're not the one who's vision gets impaired in the middle of a fight when the winds blows it over my face. It can be a liability." he smiled at that.

"You look beautiful anyway" he said with a shy smile and a faint blush but she noticed something in his eyes that made her feel the heat of an approaching blush of her own take over. So she looked away, trying to distract herself.

"How long have you been there" she said after a moment. A soft grunt called her attention, when she looked his way, he was sliding back down along the wall. She raised an eyebrow. "Well?" she said expectant.

"Um… not too long" he said after he winced once more when he settled back down.

"Liar" she said softly with a smile while she lowered her legs to the ground and walked towards him and offered him her hand. "You either have really weak legs or you've been there for hours. Come, lets walk to the sofa and get some circulation going on your legs" he took her hand and with some difficulty, got him to stand, but his legs were really cramping from sitting on the same position for so long. He tried to walk but his legs didn't want to so she slipped under his left arm and grabbed him by his torso to steady him. He was a bit heavier, she noticed. And taller by a few inches, her eyes were now at the level of his nose, but decided not to pay too much attention below that point.

He was reluctant at first. Not sure how to react to such an unexpected gesture and for a moment he thought he was dreaming. Having her so close but, the trace of an oncoming cramp let him know he was completely awake, so he rested his arm fully over her shoulders and started to walk with her aid.

"Ease, easy… lean on me or you'll risk a cramp" she said softly as they moved slowly along. He could feel the pain fade away from his leg just a few steps away from the sofa but liked the fact that she was this close, so he said nothing until they reached their destination. Once there, she let him down slowly. When he assured her he was comfortable enough, she sat down next to him.

Beast Boy was flexing his leg in the air when she broke the silence. "You never answered my question" she said quietly.

"Um.. I told you…not long" she rolled her eyes at that.

"Why were you there in the first place?" she wasn't mad when she asked. In fact, he realized, she was rarely mad at him anymore. Of course she still got annoyed with him for pestering her with his jokes but he found himself less and less the subject of her wrath. Somehow, that made him feel a bit more confident.

"Well, I was… kind of curious why you always sit in front of the window when it rains"

Raven reasoned it was a valid question which in fact no one had dared ask before. "The sound of rain is soothing" she said quietly looking back at the window. For a moment he followed her gaze and saw nothing but the raging storm and angry clouds. Some lightning could be seen but thunder never followed. He looked at her again and couldn't help but ask "What about the sweater? You wear it every time as well"

She looked his way for a moment then down at her attire and run a hand on her arm "It helps me concentrate while meditating" she said and continued after he gave her a funny look "I don't know how. Its soft and old and faded but for some reason it just…" she trailed off

"Just what?" he asked with a smile, unconsciously turning his body towards her and moving closer. She noticed this and felt self conscious but tried to ignore it.

"It feels familiar, that's all" she didn't tell him that she loved the color, the faded paw print patterns and somehow, it smelled like him. She had noticed this before but figured that the clothes always got mixed up in the laundry room like many times before, so she never gave it a second thought and only enjoyed it more.

"Definitely looks better on you" he whispered.

"What was that?"

"um.. I… I wanted to know what were you looking for earlier" he said quickly. She frown for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant. "Out the window, when you finished meditating, you looked out the window, as if searching for something, what was it. Maybe…I can help"

"Oh… its nothing important" she said then got up and headed for the window again.

"It must be. You were so concentrated on it that you didn't notice I was there until I said something" he said while he walked and stopped next her.

"I always know when you're around Beast Boy"

"Really? Then how come you never mentioned it before?"

"I figured if you had something to tell me you wouldn't wait around and you leave before I'm done meditating, so I guessed there was nothing there to say" she said with a shrug.

"And you were not mad for that?" he asked cautiously.

"At first I was. I thought you were trying to play some kind of prank on me but since nothing happened, I let it go"

Beast Boy thought for a minute then he said "Now, you're avoiding my question. What were you looking for outside the window?"

"Well… its just something Starfire said a few days ago" she said quietly, crossing her arms over her chest loosely.

"What did she say?" he asked when she offered no more explanation on her own.

"She said that the view was intriguing and sweet… even romantic… "

"And you were trying to see if it was true?" she shrugged at that.

"I know those are things one feels, not exactly see, but… I just… didn't see it" there was a certain longing in her eyes that Beast Boy didn't miss. He thought of something then and he thought to himself _its now or never Beast Boy _and moved behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Raven gasped in surprise and unconsciously put her hands on his over her stomach.

"Beast Boy, what are you doing?" she whispered, not trusting her voice as a new wave of shivers made their way down her spine and her heart skipped a beat when she felt his warm breath on her neck as he rested his chin on her left shoulder.

"Perhaps… you're not supposed to look at it alone" his hands were slightly shaking along with her hers but she managed to intertwine her fingers with his and he gently pulled her closer. For a moment, there was silence, and the charge of the clouds ahead were sign of an impending storm. Lightning was seen in all angles and the ones closest to the tower illuminated their surroundings.

As the sky rumbled in anticipation, Raven turned her head slowly. Somehow, it had gotten darker but she didn't mind as the next lightning illuminated the face of the one who's eyes had never left her face. Slowly but surely, each one leaned into the other until their lips met at the same exact time that a thunder resonated outside and throughout the tower. And with each kiss, lighting and thunder danced and sang along their rhythm.

Finally they pulled apart as a lightning nearby illuminated each other's features. And as another lightning and thunder made their presence known, Beast Boy asked "Should we take that as a sign?" without a hint of hesitation she answered. "Without a doubt", Both with a smile and happiness that knew no boundaries looked at each other right before they shared another sweet, more passionate kiss.

…

It was a couple of hours later when the sun was finally shining thru the thin clouds that were making way to a bright blue sky and two rainbows adorned each side of the horizon. Starfire came out to the roof to admire the wonders of mother nature when she spotted Raven at the far right.

"Friend Raven, isn't wondrous how the bows of rain are so beautiful and romantic? Just like when the rain is falling?" the alien said as she hovered above the edge of the roof with her hands clasp at her chest and smiling from ear to ear.

"You're right Star, it is" came the response in not quite a monotone but rather an embarrassed yet smiling tone. Starfire turned around in the air and gasped in excited surprise at what she saw and smiled even more. Raven was leaning on Beast Boy's chest. His left arm was around her waist while the other one held her hand, both resting over his thigh.

"But I think, we like the rain better… don't you think Rae?" he said with a smile.

"Definitely" she whispered before pulling him to her to share another kiss.

Starfire was speechless yet excited then sighed and said "Only on a day like this" and took off to give her friends their much needed privacy.


End file.
